Help! going back to work next week and dd2 refuses bottle

[heartinthecountry]

My dd2, now 6 months, is absolutely refusing a bottle. I have tried on and off since she was 5 weeks to get her to have one with mixed results. The best I managed was that she would have one sometimes if she was practically asleep. But most of the time she just absolutely refuses to have it in her mouth and screams.

Her childminder has had her for the odd afternoon and has tried too with no success.

I've tried with both breast milk and formula but mostly with formula as I never have time to express. I've tried various teats too. No difference.

I go back to work next week P/T and am feeling panicky.

One of the problems is that I still want to breastfeed on the days I am not working so I don't really want to just go cold turkey on her and refuse BF until she has a bottle but this is the only thing I can think of.

HELP!

[deaconblue]

The only thing my ds would take is the Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature bottle which goes all squishy and boob like when it has warm milk in it. MAybe you've tried that already. Otherwise will she take a cup of milk instead? I know HV recommend the doidy cup (ds didn't get it) but the Tommee Tippee basic cup with a double handle and no fancy valves is quite good.

[heartinthecountry]

Yep, tried the Closer to Nature one... she doesn't refuse a cup but just doesn't really 'get it' so really can't see her getting a whole feed from one. It all just sort of dribbles out again. Thanks though!

[hoxtonchick]

i had this problem too hitc. have you tried playtex bottles & teats? dd, having been a serial bottle refuser, latched straight onto these (with water/formula, i never expressed). i went back to work part-time at about the same stage as you, & i'm still breastfeeding her at 18 months. good luck!

[DizzyBint]

we gave up on all the fancy bottles that were trying to pretend to be a breast and went with avent magic spouts. also, i left her with dh for a full day. prior to that any time i left her for just a few hours she'd not take from the bottle but would have a big feed from me when i got home. i decide she wouldn't starve in just one day, plus by then she was on some solids and having some water with her food, so i figured it would be fine. and it was. she now has bottles in the day, bf morning and night. for water she uses a doidy cup. oh, and i would add, she took the bottle best when i added avent handles, so she could do it herself sort of.

[shish]

I had the same problem with my ds not taking the bottle - tried everything imaginable and put some very desperate posts on here. I wasn't even getting anywhere with the beaker.. Ds was feeding every 2 hours and increasing his night feeds too. A few weeks ago he finaaly accepted the dummy and the nights got a bit better. Then he started to reduce his feeds once he was on 3 meals, so I accepted everything a lot better and decided I would encourage him to drink other fluids and have more dairy to eat and reduce the brest feeds that way.

Still having, no luck with the beaker, I got rather desperate for him to drink fluids from something. Then a few days before xmas I put some water in his MAM bottle, thinking he would just turn away and scream when he saw it, as usual. To my surprise, he lept on it and drank from it. Later that day I tried milk and he drank it. I still can't belive it!! I've slowly starting cutting down the b/feeds cos the biting is getting unbelievably painful.

Eeryone told it would gappen when I cared the least and it did - although I never believed it. I still give 2 b/feed at the moment - morning and evening.

I know this doesn't really help you much cos you're going back to work next week, but I'm sure something will definatley work itself out. Will she drink other fluids?? Cos then you could give her other fluids and yughurt while you're at work..?

I really feel for you. Plese let me know how you get on xxx

[spina]

ds1 never took a teat of any sort. same situation. back to work p/t at 6 mths.

we found the avent magic spouts with the valve put in the wrong way worked for him. no valve was too much for him and used properly it was too much effort. the wrong way valve slowed things down just enough.

he's three now so you might have to get one to have a play with as i can't actually remember which bits are in the valve to describe any better to you.

good luck

[heartinthecountry]

Thanks everyone. Just tried an Avent Magic spout with water... hmm, didn't spit it out but also didn't drink anything. Will try playing with the valve thing.

Feeling slightly desperate now. I know I should really have tackled this full on before now but just kept hoping she would have a bottle.

Hoxtonchick - which playtex bottle did you use? The Nurser system one with the bags inside it? And latex or silicone teats?

[lyndyloo]

Same problem for me. 6m and refuses bottle - though I think it's the formula she likes least and a push will take ebm from a bottle.

Like someone suggested - I am just waiting to see how she is at nursery. She will be on 3 meals a day and will take water from a cup so she wont' starve or dehydrate. My only worry is that she will want to spend all night catching up on bfs - just as she as started to sleep longer!

I plan to do 2 bfs in the morning and will have time for 2-3 in the evening. With calcium rich foods and water during the day - this might be OK - I hope so anyway.

[heartinthecountry]

I wouldn't be so worried if she would drink water from a cup but she won't.

Today she also refused her lunch (I think possibly fed up with me shoving things in her mouth all morning!) so now worried she will be hungry as well as dehydrated.

I just don't know how she is going to manage being left for nearly 12 hours if she won't drink and her solid feeds are far from established.

[madness]

dd2 also won't take a bottle, although haven't tried very hard.Going back to pt work in 3 weeks time. Haven't tried solids either. Decided not to stress about it as ds and dd1 were a bit the same..
-ds had some solids and drank a little bit from a cup. Then went made with bf when I picked him up (night time)
-with dd1 I only did night shifts so dh was stuck with her. I think he initially spoonfed her and later used an open cup.

• with dd2 I have decided it will be cm and dh 's problem .I do think she will accept bottle/cup/spoon easier from someone else.

Well, I do worry a bit, also because she will only go to sleep when I plug her in...

[heartinthecountry]

Ah yes, the sleep thing.... that too!

well done for being so calm about it. I know stressing isn't going to help but think it is partly tied up with the fact I don't want to go back at all really.

[hoxtonchick]

yes, the original nurser, with latex teats. they can be a bit hard to find - independent chemists are your best bet.

actually, if you want, i could send you some. i got mine from a mumsnetter so it would be good to pass them on . cat me if you want to.

[heartinthecountry]

Thanks for the offer hoxtonchick - it looks like babies r us sells them so I think I'll give them a go.

[booboobunny]

hi,
just to add my two penneth, i also rely totally on the platex drop ins to feed my tiddler. i'd tried everything else and was desperate to stop breastfeeding ni coffe shops. i came across them by chance in local chemist. i had a real job finding replacement bag inserts though - weirdly the place that sells the bottle kit locally doesn't sell the refills?? the best place i found to buy them is a website called www.baby-supplies.co.uk. they cost the same amount but only charge 95p for p&p (compared to £4.95 from babies r us) and they arrived the very next day!